Guardians Baseball Insider

Image: David Monseur/MiLB/Courtesy Akron RubberDucks

Cleveland’s 2018 seventh-round pick right-hander Cody Morris is enjoying a breakout season, having allowed just five runs over his seven starts of over 28 innings. Those figures include his first outing in Triple-A, where Morris shut down an offensive powerhouse team that is the Triple-A East Midwest Division-leading Omaha Storm Chasers. The 24-year-old was among few Clippers pitchers who kept a lid on Omaha’s offense, however, as the Storm Chasers slugged 14 homers, including four from 2019 No. 2 overall pick Bobby Witt Jr. Columbus managed to hang in each ballgame, as all six contests were decided by four runs or fewer. Shortstop Gabriel Arias, who leads the team with 16 hits over the last 13 games, earned a Gatorade bath with a walk-off single Friday, and collected a pair of hits over the remainder of the series. The 12-game homestand continues next week for Columbus as it hosts Toledo. The Clippers have split each of their last three series and are 37-45 this season, good for fifth in the division.

Day-by-day

8/3: L 11-7 (11) vs. Omaha W: Coleman (2-0) L: Mota (0-1)

8/4: W 6-4 vs. Omaha W: Herget (6-3) L: Singer (0-2) S: Stephens (5)

8/5: L 7-4 vs. Omaha W: Martinez (2-3) L: Fillmyer (1-5)

8/6: W: 5-4 (10) vs. Omaha W: Stephens (1-0) L: Zuber (1-2)

8/7: L 13-10 vs. Omaha W: Barker (1-1) L: Moss (1-5) S: Zuber (4)

8/8: W 4-0 vs. Omaha W: Allen (2-3) L: Butler (4-2)

Player of the Week

1B Trenton Brooks: 9-for-22, .500 OBP, 5 R, 4 BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI

Trenton Brooks can hit wherever he’s put in the lineup. He’s led off for the Clippers, he’s hit in the lower half of the order, and he’s slotted No. 9 on occasion. Brooks led Columbus with nine hits as he started all six games against Omaha, reaching base at an eye-popping .500 clip. The 26-year-old also led Columbus with five runs scored and four walks, proving he’s no easy out. Despite his listing as an outfielder, Brooks has stepped up exceptionally at first base, and didn’t make an error in the series. He hit No. 6 in four games, No. 7 Saturday and No. 9 Sunday.

Who’s Hot

OF Alex Call: 7-for-20, 5 R, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SB, HR, 2B

As Columbus has seen an influx of promotions from Double-A Akron, one intriguing addition has been outfielder Alex Call. He’s flashed power and he’s flashed speed, two tools that have blossomed and reached career-highs with 13 homers and 15 stolen bases total this year. Call reached base in all five games against Omaha, and slugged a game-tying home run to get the Clippers on the board en route to their win Wednesday. He leads Columbus with 12 runs scored over his last 12 games, and owns a .753 OPS over that span.

LHP Logan Allen: 2 G, W, 9.2 IP, 16 K, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB

Don’t look now, but 24-year-old southpaw Logan Allen is heating up. Allen allowed four runs over 4 2/3 innings Tuesday, but followed Morris out of the bullpen Sunday with six punch outs over five shutout innings — something he hadn’t done this season. Over the last two series, Allen leads Columbus with 20 strikeouts and earned two wins across 14 2/3 innings. As September baseball looms in three weeks, Allen is an arm that is trending upward.

Who’s Not

RHP Heath Fillmyer: 5 IP, L, 6 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 2 HR, 

Ever since he threw 11 innings of one-hit ball across two starts to begin July, Heath Fillmyer has been on a downward spiral. That trend continued with his fourth-consecutive loss Thursday, when he allowed six runs and four walks over five innings. Over the last 15 days, Fillmyer has allowed 11 earned-runs and 10 hits, both team-worst figures, in just seven innings. The 27-year-old has finished five innings in just three of his nine starts since signing with Cleveland on a minor-league deal at the end of May.

RHP Juan Mota: 2 G, L, 2 1/3 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 H, 3 K, 3 WP, HR

Since his promotion from Double-A Akron July 28, right-hander Juan Mota hasn’t quite stuck in the Clippers’ bullpen. His makeup helps him stand out from the rest of the arms — notably featuring an upper-90s fastball behind his 6-foot-4, 265-pound frame — but they haven’t all come together in Columbus. Mota was tagged for all six runs allowed in the top of the 11th and ultimately the loss Tuesday, and threw two wild pitches in 2/3 innings Thursday. The 25-year-old did pick up a pair of strikeouts in his second appearance, but must capitalize on the chance to piece things together and shut down opposing hitters going forward.

Transactions

8/3 – RHP Cody Morris assigned to Triple-A Columbus from Double-A Akron

8/6 – C Wilson Ramos selected by Cleveland from Triple-A Columbus

8/7 – INF Andrés Giménez recalled by Cleveland from Triple-A Columbus

8/7 – RHP J.C Mejia optioned to Triple-A Columbus from Cleveland

Coming Up

8/10 – HOME vs. Toledo 7:05

8/11 – HOME vs. Toledo 12:05

8/12 – HOME vs. Toledo 7:05

8/13 – HOME vs. Toledo 7:05

8/14 – HOME vs. Toledo 7:05

8/15 – HOME vs. Toledo 4:05